Nasheed’s Addu office to promote low-carbon development

Former president Mohamed Nasheed opened Wednesday an office in Addu City to promote sustainable and environment-friendly development.

“We are starting this work in Addu City in the middle of the Indian Ocean,” he said at the opening ceremony.

“The purpose of this office is to find expertise and financial assistance for low-carbon development. This can be done together with the Addu City University and other institutions.”

The green technology needed to shift from fossil fuels has been developed, he added, suggesting that solar power would be cheaper than electricity produced from diesel powerhouses.

The construction of harbours and shore protection work on Maldivian islands could also be carried out sustainably. “It’s a dream of mine to protect islands in an environment-friendly manner. The science exists to do it. Creating an artificial reef can be done,” he said.

Under privileges afforded to former presidents, monthly state funding is provided to cover the expenses of their offices.

The office in the Hithadhoo island was reportedly opened in the home of ‘Hiyalee’ Mohamed Rasheed, formerly a close associate of President Abdulla Yameen who backed the joint opposition candidate in September’s presidential election.

Nasheed travelled to the southernmost atoll Tuesday evening on his first trip since returning to the Maldives last week after nearly three years in exile.

Addu is a stronghold of the Maldivian Democratic Party led by Nasheed. The party’s candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won a majority of 67 per cent from the second city in the presidential polls.

Nasheed was welcomed by hundreds of jubilant supporters, many of whom stood in line to shake his hand or take a selfie with the 51-year-old leader.

Speaking on the Feydhoo island, Nasheed urged supporters to vote for MDP candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

“We can reach safe shores if the majority votes for the scales in the parliamentary elections,” he said, referring to the blue scales on the MDP flag.

Yameen lost the election despite “tying up the hands and feet of the people.”

“Tyranny, betrayal and embezzlement are things that take humans backwards. They weaken humans. As a result, their [Yameen’s] friends have lost power. They are alone, weakened and without help,” he said.